How Variable Data Printing Improves Direct Mail Response Rates

We have previously touched upon variable data printing and how it has revolutionised the direct mail industry. To further the information that we have provided before, below we wanted to explain how using variable data printing can directly improve the response rates of your direct mail.

What is variable data printing?

Variable data printing is a way of printing variations of direct mail in one print. This may mean that it has different images, uses different colours or contains a different message. The printer simply switches between the varying prints while seamlessly working at the same time.

This means that you can create a direct mail campaign that will appeal to a huge range of people, without the costs, both in terms of time and money, of running multiple prints.

How will variable data printing improve direct mail response rates?

We have explained before the huge importance that personalisation plays in direct mail. An almost complete 98% of people feel that personalisation in direct mail is important. Sending out only one design of a mailshot to a range of demographics leaves you very little room for error.

Furthermore, the Direct Mail Association predicts that using personalisation in a direct mail campaign can increase the ROI by between 300% and 1000%. The importance of these figures can’t be understated. It’s clear that without personalisation, your campaign is unlikely to succeed.

How can you use variable data printing to personalise your direct mail?

There are multiple ways that you can make use of variable data printing’s adaptability. Some of the more obvious routes are:

Perhaps the most beneficial, but still highly impactful use, of variable data printing is that you can personalise every single piece of direct mail uniquely by adding the customer’s name and address. We’ve all had direct mail that is addressed to “the occupier”. This lack of personalisation usually leads to it ending up in the bin before it’s even been opened

There are also some unique and inventive ways that you can increase your direct mail response rates using variable data printing:

You can print QR codes on your direct mail, making it both interactive and unique to your group of customers or individuals

Similarly, you can print personalised URLs, called PURLs, on your direct mail which has the same effect as QR codes. Further to this, both QR codes and PURL codes can be tracked so that you have data to analyse as to the success of this form of personalisation

Using variable data printing with bakergoodchild

As we can see, not only will variable data printing give you a great way to improve response rates, it also gives you great ways to gather new data too. If you would like to know more about variable data printing, please contact us here.